The Advanced Simulation of Pipeline Reeling (ASPIRE) project will pioneer the accurate representation of the pipeline reeling process, which is anticipated to increase the commercial viability of testing and bring major advances in methods for pre-qualification testing of pipeline welding in deeper and more corrosive deepwater environments.
Rod Martin, Element’s Executive Vice President, Oil & Gas, comments: “ASPIRE will bring about unprecedented advances in subsea pipeline installation testing. With current methods falling short of accurately simulating the complexities of the real-world reeling process, this JIP is an extremely cost-effective solution for all those involved by working in partnership to increase the industry’s confidence in operating reliably within deepwater environments. Our increased understanding of pipeline reeling will undoubtedly improve the integrity of test data we can provide for our clients and improve knowledge within the Oil & Gas sector as a whole.”
Experts at the company’s renowned Element Aberdeen testing laboratory will collaborate with sister laboratories across its global network and key Oil & Gas industry partners to develop a new, state-of-the-art reeling facility in Aberdeen, UK. It will provide unrivalled full-scale cycling strain testing capabilities based on the technical requirements and research findings of participants, in addition to serving as the blueprint for potential future reeling facilities at laboratories such as Element Houston, TX. Project participants will gain exclusive commercial access to the facility, as well as shared knowledge and testing methodologies developed throughout the initiative.
The two-year ASPIRE project is expected to launch on June 1 2015.
About Element
Element is a company with a global presence; its laboratories are staffed by experts specializing in materials testing, product qualification testing and failure analysis for the Aerospace, Oil & Gas and Transportation and Industrials sectors. Element’s team of 1,800 scientists, engineers and technicians work in 51 facilities located throughout the U.S. and Europe. For a complete list of Accreditations & Approvals and more information, please visit www.element.com.
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“ASPIRE will bring about unprecedented advances in subsea pipeline installation testing.”
Dr. Rod Martin
EVP, Oil & Gas